Born James Woodrow Wilson Burdett, James drop the Woodrow upon adulthood He served in the U.S. Army from 29Sep1942 and was honorable discharged 19Sep1945. "I was transferred to the 82nd Airborne Division, when the 101st sent me from Fort Bragg to England in early 1943. I served in the 82nd Glide Regiment and went in after the Paratroopers on D-Day, and landed in St.Lo,France. Sustained injuries and I was sent to Scotland for R&R." After return to New York, James went to work for the VA Center in Bath,NY; where he retired in 1976.

Recent(2019) DNA evidence has linked James W. to Meredith Ann MacKenzie (great-granddaughter). Apparently, there was a son born to Verna Alberta Windsor(1912-1991), named Revere Windsor and adopted by the MacKenzie family in NYC, June 5th 1933 at which time he was renamed, Robert Edward MacKenzie(Apr1932-1995). Robert knew is mother's name was Verna Windsor, but never knew who his father was - we can only assume James was not aware of the birth of Robert either.